These struggles brought experiences of radical mobilization to cities, which have yielded
achievements and will certainly be marked in memory of the population. By Caio Martins
Ferreira ---- After the municipal elections, public transport back on the agenda of the
day - now no longer in campaign promises, but in the decrees of the mayors authorizing
increases in the passage. In the metropolitan area of ââSÃo Paulo, the price of the bus
[bus] has risen to at least 18 cities. In most of these places, people organized
themselves to protest. In these organizations, there are generally one or another person
who has participated in demonstrations or activities of the Movement Passe Livre (MPL) in
SÃo Paulo, and then who comes into contact with the movement for support. To the extent
possible, the MPL has tried to strengthen these street fights, always with the Fanfare of
MAL ("Autonomous Libertarian Movement"), a rebel battery that gives the cadence of the
demonstrations.

Cotia

Reelected in Cotia, Mayor Carlos Camargo decreed in November increased bus fare to $ 2.60.
In response, local activists organized a Committee of Struggle for Public Transport and
called for a demonstration against the increase in the city center. The event brought
together only 40 people, but still had power, animated by great fanfare and with support
of the local population - which was visible when shopkeepers booed an MP [military police
member] who showed his gun to intimidate the protesters.

After the act, the Committee decided that it was necessary to deepen the debate with the
people in the communities and conduct meetings to discuss the plight of transport - in
Cotia, while students are entitled to a free pass (achieved with a lot of fight in years
90), there are 15 neighborhoods in the city do not have access to public transport. A
first activity with the MPL happened in the CDHU Jd. SÃo Miguel.

Osasco

After the increase in the rate of R $ 3.00 to R $ 3.30 in early December in Osasco, a
group of students scored a cram school demonstration by Facebook. Of the more than a
thousand confirmed, only 50 attended. Protesters who were, in general, had only previously
participated in the protests against corruption in the city - acts that, driven by
right-wing groups in general tend to be timid, limited to the display of signs at the
crosswalk [pedestrian crossing] . In this context, the intervention of the MAL Fanfare
introduced a new aesthetic element, which raised the political experience to another
level, giving greater strength and confidence to act on the protesters.

In jester, there was a meeting that decided to take the street and go to City Hall. But
upon arriving at City Hall, the parade find the doors closed. Decides to return, but this
time making the trip through the Autonomists Viaduct - a major route of entry of Osasco.
Enthusiastic about the strength of the act, over the bridge, the protesters decided to sit
down and block the flow of cars. Only half an hour later comes the PM [Military Police]
demanding the release of transit. You made a deal and march resumes its way back.

The second act was soon summoned to the next day in order to escrachar [insulting
collectively] the mayor and his secretaries publicly during the delivery of a broad
reform. The inauguration of the event, however, was cleared yesterday. But the event
happened the same way and, even under heavy rain, 60 people marched to the Terminal Vila Iara.

Over those two days, was noticeable growth of the movement: an act that started as a
Facebook event and maybe even have left the assembly point gained strength and
radicalization about to block a bridge for half an hour and invade a terminal . The
Fanfare and MPL certainly played a role in the beginning of this process, but in the end
they were already completely expendable because the protesters themselves took the
organization act. In 2013, the group reunited marked pamphlets, and another protest is
being organized.

TaboÃo Sierra

"U.S. $ 3.30 is robbery," said a graffiti in front of the City Council of TaboÃo in early
2013. With the same slogan, local activists called for a demonstration against the
increase, which brought together nearly 100 people and was received at City Hall by
Secretary of Communication. The demonstrators rejected the proposal that the Secretary was
formed a negotiating committee and demanded that any conversation was made with all
present there. The secretary gave in and got the proposal of a meeting between the
Movement, the City and transport companies. To confirm the proposal, a second
demonstration also took place the next day, and the meeting was scheduled for June 22.

On day 16, however, Mayor Fernando Fernandes went public to announce the repeal of the
tariff increase, which again cost Â 3.00. The rationale for the measure is that, under the
contract with the City Traffic Pirajussara, there should be an interval of at least one
year between each increase and, in the case of the last adjustment, this rule was not
respected.

The reversal of the increase was expected by many activists because Fernandes had promised
to lower the price of the bus during the election campaign. This does not diminish the
achievement of the struggle: the pressure exerted by movements certainly had an important
bearing on the decision of the mayor. But the movement remains alert to any political
maneuver and not let his guard down: a new act is scheduled for the 22th, to demand a
guarantee that the increase will not happen again.

Maua and ABC

In Maua, where bus fares went up 40 cents in late 2012, the mobilization was built more
solid. In addition to an intensive outreach work with collage lambes and leafleting around
the city, the organizers (who are identified by the virtual community "Yes Politics, Not
rascality") sought support not only the MPL and fanfare, but other organized groups in
region, as Apeoesp, OAB, the student movement, and even anarcho-punks militants PT (same
party of the mayor).

Result: The first act against the increase in Maua, on day 5, almost a thousand people
gathered. Unprepared to manage a march of this size, the police took a "olÃ" of the
protesters, who locked the entrance of the Central Terminal, halting the flow of buses.
Worried about radicalization after one hour lockout, organizers called the act from the
top car sound, to follow-up and shut up in the square of the Bible. Seeing the strength of
the movement in Maua, but unhappy with the lack of space in the organization and sound
car, student Trotskyist currents called the meeting of a Committee Against Unified
Increases in the ABCD Region and Maua, overlapping the areas of organization existing in
each municipality. The meeting came a day before a demonstration against the increase in
Sao Bernardo that was already being called by the activist group Anonymous ABC.

On the day of the act, the presence of organized currents noted more clearly, generating
an endless controversy Anonymous meeting after claim of the presence of party flags. Under
steady rain, 80 people marched and panfletaram the streets of Sao Bernardo packed with
songs of Fanfare. The march stormed the municipal terminal, but civil guards pushed the
protesters out, preventing the flow of buses were locked.

On the 12th, Saturday the second act took place against the increase in Maua, equally
strong. The act followed by the access road to Terminal Center, whose entrance was
protected by a line of GCMs [Metropolitan Civil Guard] with shields and batons.
Reluctantly car sound, protesters rushed towards the terminal, excited by fireworks
launched by the punks and the music of Fanfare. The blockade lasted for nearly two hours,
the tension grew with the police - on the front line, already felt the pepper gas - while
the microphone to thank the organizers insisted on "the PM [Military Police], who is here
for us protect. "

Began the repression: the GCMs moved ahead with batons, followed by guards on horseback,
while behind the PM Tactical Force launched shrapnel bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets.
The sound truck fled, some of the protesters ran and others remained, throwing rocks at
guards. Ceased pumps, the act regrouped around Fanfare, who played "Macho Macho Man" to
the police. We recorded 20 injured and 3 detained. In the meeting, it was decided to march
to the police station, demanding the release of fellow.

The city had stopped. In downtown streets, dumpsters face, stones and shells on the floor
trading closed doors and people had gathered on the sidewalks watching the parade, which
was still firmly under the rain. They received pamphlets expressing solidarity, "they
steal in driving and if we complain, catch." Protesters followed by a circuitous route, as
police still blocking some roads until they arrived in front of the police station
[squad]. They sang: "Or loosen the hold three or all at once." Suddenly, a car pulls Force
Tactical sopetÃo of the corner and four cops [cops] to jump out at gunpoint. Some
protesters begin to run, but the Fanfare not retreat and act remains united. No
repression. Companions who were inside the police arrive with the news: the three would be
released and those who were in the emergency room already spent well.

And Saint Paul?

Demonstrations also took place in other cities of the metropolis, as Barueri, Carapicuiba
and Franco da Rocha, where the fight was regionalized, involving Caieiras and Francisco
Morato. In the state capital, the possibility of an increase in the bus fare is placed
since the end of 2012, when the House passed a budget predicting a cut of $ 300 million in
compensation for tariff subsidy in public transport. During the vote on the budget, the
MPL has come to mobilize, with street actions and interventions in public hearings.

The mayor-elect Fernando Haddad was always emphatic that his only commitment is to not
increase above inflation. More recently, declared that the passage should rise in the
first half, perhaps between May and June, to avoid the impact on inflation, at the request
of the Minister of Finance.

This situation has generated a different scenario of recent years, when the increase in
SÃo Paulo preceded (and justified) increases in neighboring municipalities. In those
years, was the fight against the increase in Sao Paulo that has stimulated the development
of struggles in other cities. This time, we have the reverse: the metropolitan struggles
are generating a climate of tension even before the passage up in the capital. Regardless
of how much able to stand firm and strengthen the battle that lies ahead in SÃo Paulo,
these movements are important in themselves. His struggles brought experiences of radical
mobilization to the cities, which have yielded marked achievements and will certainly be
in memory of the population.